Self-feeding paper burster gun



P 4, 1953 A. F. LANGOS 2,634,549

SELF-FEEDING PAPER BURSTER GUN Filed Dec. 12, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET l Patented Apr. 14, 1953 2,634,549 SELF-FEEDING PAPER BURSTER GUN Alfred F. Langos, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Langson Manufacturing Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 12, 1949, Serial No. 132,540

6 Claims.

This invention relates in general to toy guns and in particular to toy paper burster guns for repeatedly feedin and bursting paper upon continuous operation of the gun.

The most acceptable operation for a child in using a paper burster gun, obviously, is to have a burst of paper with each pull of the trigger in order to get the sound effect from the burst. To have a burst of paper with each pull of the trigger requires that an unused portion of paper be exposed each time to the air blast developed in the gun for bursting the paper. To provide such an unused portion of paper for each trigger actuation of the gun mechanism, in turn, requires that the paper be fed through the gun in a dependable positive manner, and that a predetermined length of an unused portion be available each time. Lastly, in order that the child need only pull the trigger in order to get repetitive so-called automatic operation requires that the trigger be connected with and disconnected from the air blast developing and paper feed mechanism simply in the ordinary back and forth movement of the trigger. This complete problem troubled the art over a period of many years, and although the automatic connecting and disconnecting problem was solved as by Langos Patent No. 2,083,535 issued June 8, 1937, the paper feed was still troublesome. The paper could be fed through the gun on a cocking stroke of the mechanism in a substantially satisfactory manner, but there was a possibility of a drag on the paper during the return movement of the gun mechanism to an idle position, and this drag would sometimes carry the paper back so that less than a full unused portion would be moved up to be available for burstin on the next stroke. This problem was solved, however, in the paper burster gun invention of the application of Otto A. Langos, Serial No. 853, filed January '7, 1948 and now matured into Patent No. 2,490,991 and reissued as Re. 23,386. The invention of this present application attacks this entire problem and provides other improved means to solve these difficulties.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple dependable paper burster gun of the so-called automatically operatin type wherein all operations take place simply by pulling the trigger.

Another object is to provide in such a gun an effective means for connecting mechanism within the gun to cook air-pressure-developing structure therein, and at the end of a cooking stroke to disconnect the structure and permit the return thereof to an idle position, all the while providing a positive paper feed for the paper within the gun and preventing any disturbance of the paper such as to interfere with the proper, paper movement therethrough.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of mechanism within the paper burster gun housin which by means of a rounded-head stud and aperture connection between air blast developing means and the trigger, and a cam. acting to displace the stud laterally from its connection, accomplishes repetitive movement of the mechanism, and by means of a paper feed means connected into the previously described structure and synchronized therewith accomplishes positive movement of paper through the gun so as to have a dependable toy for repeated feeding and bursting of paper with accompanying noise.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the drawings, in which latter:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the paper burster gun of my invention with a portion of the housing cut away to show the entire mechanism for paper feed and bursting;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the structure of Fig. 1 in a position changed from Fig. 1, and showing the mechanism substantially at the end of a cooking stroke;

Fig. 3 is a further fragmentary view showing the mechanism in a position shortly after the paper bursting, with the trigger and air blast portions disconnected, and the trigger portion about to return to an idle position;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the gun showing some of the mechanism within the gun housing in dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view along the lone 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a corresponding enlarged view with the mechanism in a position just before the disconnection of the paper bursting portion and the trigger portion;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along the line 1-1 of Fig 4; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the piston rod, along the line 88 of Fig. 6.

In practicing this invention of an improved paper burster toy gun, I provide for synchronized interrelated operation, trigger structure which includes a disconnectible link having a roundedhead stud thereon for releasable connection in an aperture of the piston rod which is part of the air-blast structure. The link also has thereon a paper feed pawl acting therewith which alternately feeds burstable paper and becomes and remains separated therefrom by guide means on the piston rod against which the stud slidably moves. The rounded-head stud is moved laterally by a cam within the gun to cause it to slide out of the aperture connection with the piston rod for the disconnection of the link and piston rod to permit the piston rod to drive forwardly and develop an air-blast to burst the paper.

The paper burster toygun structure comprises a housing with two halves l and l i (Fig. 4) into which the gun mechanism is assembled, and which are then secured together by pins or rivets including those identified by reference characters I2, [3 and M (Fig. 1). The major portion of one of the halves is broken awayin the illustrations of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, showing a paper roll R ina corresponding cavity within the housing closed at the bottom by a pivoted strap IS. The paper is adapted to be threaded from the roll R'asastrip P and upwardly through a slit defined by a partition l1 and projections '4 8 and i9. The paper P then is threaded rearwardly through a guide cavity 2| (Figs. 1, 7), formed by integral partition walls 22 extending alon the top length of the gun housing. The walls 22 at the very top are of such dimensions toprovide an elongated opening 23'through which the paper is visible along the top of the gun, and to provide an enlarged recess 24 in one ofthe halves and opening out of the central main cavity of the gun housing. A feed pawl projects up through the recess 24 and presses the paper against the under surface of the top wall 22, as will be hereinafter described, to selectively engage and move the paper rearwardly through the guideway or guide cavity 2!.

For bursting the paper by means of an air blast, it is sealed against the wall surrounding an aperture 26 in the hollowbarrel or muzzle 2'! of the gun by means of a soft rubber grommet 28. The grommet 2B is mounted upon a slidable cylinder 29 supported upon corresponding walls formed within the housing as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. In operating the gun the cylinder is moved rearwardly slightly during the cooking stroke or working movement of the mechanism to provide an opening through which the paper is fed so as to make an unused portion available at the aperture'26. The paper moves from the loosely carried roll R within the retaining cavity. At the end of the cooking stroke the cylinder has moved forwardly and the grommet 28 seals the paper around the rim of the aperture 26, and an air blast is developed within the cylinder '29 to burst the paper with a loud bursting noise.

The air blast developing mechanism, in addition to the cylinder 29, includes a piston 3i rigidly mounted on the front end of a piston rod 52, which latter is slidably supported for substantially straight linelongitudinal movement within the gun by guide recesses 33 and 34 Within the housing and the piston 3| slidably supported within the cylinder '29. The piston and piston rod must be drawn rearwardlyin a cooking or working movement, in order to set up the condition for development of the air blast, and this cockingor working movement is accomplished by pressing the trigger 36 pivotally mounted in the housing on a stationary pin 31. This also moves a substantially U-shaped link 38 (Figs. 1 and having a relatively short arm 39 and a longer arm 4| to'which is secured at it upper end a stud 42 having a-hardened metal tip 43 rounded in a substantial radius and perfectly smooth for easy sliding on metal. The link 38 is rather loosely connected in a pivotal connection at 45 with the trigger-so that the long arm il can be moved lat erally from the position of Fig. 5 to the position of Fi -6, for instance, against the pressure of a spring 46 mounted on the housing half II and bowed as shown particularly in Fig. 6.

In developing the necessary air pressure to create an air blast at the grommet (28) breech (26) seal, th piston 3| on the rod 32 is cooked to 2.

4 position to compress the coil spring Ssurrounding the same and retained between the partition member 34' and the piston 3|. When the spring is compressed sufliciently, the piston rod must then be released for a very rapid expansion of the spring S to drivethe piston 3| over the length of the cylinder to the position shown in Fig. 3.

As wehave described, the cocking operation originates in the movement of the trigger 38 and this movement and the generated force is translated through the link 38 to the piston rod 32. The piston rod includes an aperture 41 which is substantially oval in shape and is slightly larger than the stud 42 simply to permit easy insertion of the stud therein, and an equally easy withdrawal thereof. The aperture 41 is pierced in the stamped-out metal piston rod-32 in a direction so that the burr side 'is'toward the top as'view'ed in Fig. 5. The cleansid'e with a very slight radius at the aperture edge isprovided on the lower=side, as viewed in Fig. 5, or the face side as'v'iewedin Figs. 1 to 3, and this is the side'through whichthe stud enters and leaves. This entire construction is very clear in the enlarged views of Figsj5 'and6.

The disconnection of trigger and paper feed structure from the air blast structure is accomplished by a cam element C integralwith the cast housing member l5 and projecting inwardly to a cam surface ell-36a positioned adjacent the corresponding side of thepiston rod.32. As thep'iston rod 32-stud d2link '38 moves toward 'the end of the cooking stroke the cam surface engages the hardened rounded'tip d3 of the stud and moves it laterally. 'At the cam surface 40a the trigger force on the stud 42 pushes the rounded tip out of the aperture 41, andthe piston rod-32 is driven forwardly by the springs.

The piston rod 32 is also sheared at-one portion when it is formed so as to provide an outwardly angularly extendingflange 48, and leaving an adjacent opening 49 longitudinally of the piston rod at that portion thereof. This flange 48 is sheared out in a manner to provide, a rounded edge 5! at the front thereof, as visible particularly in Fi s. 1 to 3, and this flange serve as a guide flange or edge for the stud 42 as will be subsequently described. The length of the flange is such that the stud 42 will not at any position slip off the back thereof. Because of the numerous lines it is difiicult to show the parts in the full position of the link 38 in Fig. 3, but this same length condition, of course, is present in illustration of this figure.

Before going more .fullyinto the'operation of the gun, We will describe the few remaining elements that play a particular part in the operation, and these include a rubber feed pawl52 rigidly secured at the top of the long arm 4| of the link 38 and dimensioned so as to extend into the cavity 24 at the top of the gun housing (Fig. 7) to engage and move paper guided within the cavity or guideway 2|. The pawl 52 is preferably of rubber, but the construction thereof and the construction and operation of the remainder of the piston assembly and linkage mechanism is such that a pawl of any material is effective to move the paper through the gun as just described. Reference is also made to an'extension 53 secured to or integral with the slidable cylinder 29 which not only connects such cylinder and the trigger 36 through a pin 54, but also helps to maintain a straight-line movement for the cylinder by virtue of the guided mounting of the extension 53 in the apertured lugs 55 integral with the housing members and l I. A spring 56 is compressed or expanded between the stationary lug 57 and. the end of the extension 53, and this is effective in the lost-motion connection and movement made possible by the pin 54 in the elongated recess 58 within such extension. A spring 59 coiled around the pin 44 and acting between the stationary pivot pin 31 and the end of the link 38 within the trigger 36 acts to return the trigger and associated parts to an idle position.

In order to provide the greatest enjoyment for a child, it is important not only to have the semblance of a shot, such as a small fragment of burst paper blown through the hollow barrel 2'! of the gun, but it is desirable to have as loud an explosion as possible. The barrel 2! acts something as a mufiier, but this is counteracted and a loud explosion is generated by providing elongated apertures as 5| immediately adjacent the point of paper bursting and on each side of the barrel 2?. Three apertures 5| are illustrated, and this particular number has been found very eifective in providing the maximum noise. At the same time, these narrow elongated holes or apertures 5| do not in any way Weaken the housing structure.

In brief, a normal operation of the gun comprises compressing the trigger 36 while holding the butt B of the gun in the operators hand. This movement starts from a position of rest, as shown in Fig. l, in which position the stud 42 is in the aperture 41, having been snapped therein by the spring 45 at the completion of the return movement of the mechan sm. Upon the first movement of the trigger 35 the stud bears against the back edge E of such aperture as though bearing against a shoulder portion, whereupon the link 38 translates the movement of the trigger 35 into a corresponding cooking or working movement of the piston rod 32. Meanwhile the feed pawl 52 is in engagement with the paper P and this paper can be moved by such feed pawl because the grommet 28 is removed from a seal position with the paper by virtue of the spring 56 moving the cylinder 29 rearwardly a distance dependent upon the length of the aperture 58 in the extension 53. These elements are then in the position of Fig. 2 and the paper feed slot above the roll is open. This movement all continues while building up the pressure in the spring S and bringing in the unused portion of the paper to lie across the aperture 26 at the breech in the gun housing. Toward the end of the cocking stroke or movement and in the position of the mechanism as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6, the hardened steel tip 43 of the stud 42 is brought into engagement with the cam surface 40 on the cam element or projection C (Fig. 6). The shape of this cam surface 45 causes the stud to be gradually pressed laterally, until at the end of the working stroke such stud has been pressed so far by the flat portion 45a of the entire cam surface that it slips out of the aperture 47 because the radius of the hardened smooth tip 43 is such that the cocking force developed by the operator overcomes the friction between the elements, and the rounded tip slides off the shoulder-like edge E and completely out of the aperture. When this occurs, of course, the spring S drives the piston rod 32 with the piston 3! thereon in a very rapid movement to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2. Because of the rounded end 5| on the flange 48 adjacent the aperture edge E, the stud slips downwardly (as shown in Fig. 3)

as the piston rod is driven to the right. The link 38 with the feed pawl 52 thereon is thereby drawn down to take the feed pawl out of engagement with the paper P, and it is maintained out of engagement throughout the subsequent return movement of the trigger assembly including the link and feed pawl. Because there is a. lateral movement of the feed pawl 52 as the cam surfaces 40 and 400. are operating on the stud 42 and moving the stud mounting arm of the link therewith, and this movement might injure the paper P, an upward offset 62 is provided in the top wall of the gun housing so that at that point of lateral movement of the feed pawl the paper is loose within the guideway 2 I.

At the point in the operation just before the disconnection of the structure the pin 54 in the trigger engages the front end of slot 58 and the trigger movement and position presses the extension 53 and cylinder 29 forwardly-to seal the grommet 28 against the paper P pressed on the breech in the gun muzzle. Then after diSCOIi'. nection the piston rod 32 drives toward the right, as shown in Fig. 3, and comes to the final explosion position. The operator instinctively releases his hand pressure on the trigger and the spring 59 carries the assembly back toward an idle position. The stud 42 rides along the bottom edge of the flange 48 thereby maintaining the feed pawl 52 out of engagement with the paper P until it reaches the position of Fig. 1, at which time the stud moves upwardly off of the flange 48 over the edge 5| and snaps into the aperture 41. The feed pawl 52 moves up into engagement with the paper P and stands in an idle position ready for the next repetitive movement of the gun mechanism for another burst of paper.

This invention provides, therefore, a simple sturdy paper burster gun which operates in a dependable repetitive fashion by simply pressing on the trigger. A loud explosion occurs when the paper bursts with each trigger actuation, and the youngster can simulate shooting in a harm- 1c:s manner.

The foregoing description covers the preferred embodiment of my invention but it is understood that this is capable of modifications Within the purview of such invention, and it is intended to include all such modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a paper-burster gun with paper therein and having a housing, the combination including a cockable spring driven piston rod having a stud-receiving aperture therein and a sheared portion with a flange thereon extending longitudinally in the piston rod from a point adjacent to and rearwardly of said aperture, with said piston rod being supported within said housing for substantially straight-line movement, mechanism within the housing adapted to be releasably connected with said piston rod and for cooking the same including a trigger, link means connected to said trigger having a rounded-head stud adjacent the upper end thereof adapted to be removably insertable into said piston-rod aperture at the idle position of the mechanism to operatively connect the trigger and the piston rod, a cam portion within the housing having a cam surface extending generally longitudinally of the direction of travel of the piston rod and adjacent one face of said piston rod for engaging the rounded head of said stud as such stud moves with the trigger movement andmoves said piston rod therewith, said cam surface being dimen- 7, sionedso as to push said stud from said aperture at the end of the cooking stroke upon said piston rod-todisconnect said piston rod and said mechanism and permit spring driven paper bursting movement of said piston rod, and a paper feed pawl on said link means adapted to engage and move paper therewith during said cocking stroke movement 'andadapted to be removed from said paper upon disconnection of said piston rod and link means, and with said sheared portion flange onsaid piston rod adapted to receive said stud head against'its flange edge and guide said stud headand the feed pawl and the link means as an assembly and in a prescribed line of movement upon the return of said link means and trigger to an idle position in the gun.

2. In a paper-burster gun with paper therein and having a housing, the combination including a cockable spring-driven means having thereon a stud-receiving portion and a stud guide-edge portion, operating means within the housing for cooking said spring-driven means including link means having a rounded-head stud thereon adapted to be removably engageable with said stud-receiving portion for interconnection of said spring-driven means and said operating means and for moving said spring-driven means upon movement of the operating means, a cam portion within the housing having a cam surface thereon adapted for engaging the rounded head of said stud as it moves during said cocking movement, with said cam surface dimensioned so as to push said stud from said stud-receiving portion at the end of the cocking stroke of said spring-driven means to disconnect the same and said operating means, and a paper feed on said link means adapted to engage and move paper therewith during said cocking movement and being operatively connected with said stud guide-edge upon a return movement of said operating means to idle position by means of said stud riding on said edge, and means acting on said operating means to accomplish said return movement.

3. In a paper-burster gun with paper therein and having a housing, the combination of paperbursting means including a piston rod having thereon a stud-receiving portion and a laterally and longitudinally extending stud-guiding portion, operating means including a link member having thereon a paper feed and a rounded-head stud, and cam means in the housing having a cam surface thereon acting as the piston rod is moved through a cooking movement to engage and laterally displace the stud from connection with the stud-receiving portion on the piston rod whereby to disconnect the bursting means and the operating means, and permit a bursting movement of the piston rod, said paper feed being moved out of engagement with the paper upon said disconnection, and with said stud engaging said guiding portion upon a return movement of said operating means to maintain said stud and the paper feed in a guided line.

4. In a paper-burster gun with paper therein and having a housing, the combination including a cockable spring-driven means having thereon a stud-receiving portion and a stud guideedge portion, operating means within the hous ing for movably cocking said spring-driven means including link means having a roundedhead stud thereon adapted to be removably engageable with said stud-receiving portion for interconnection of said spring-driven means and said operating means and for moving said springdriven means upon movement of the operating means, means within the housing acting during said cocking movement to move said stud until the rounded head thereof only engages said stud-receiving portion and slides therefrom to disconnect said spring-driven means and said operating means, and a paper feed on said link means adapted to engage and move paper therewith during said cocking movement but displaceable from the paper coincident with said disconnection, and spring means acting to move said operating means and bring said stud into engagement with said stud guide-edge and move said stud therealong While accomplishing a return movement of said operating means.

5. In a paper-burster gun with paper therein and having a housing,the combination of paperbursting means including a driven piston rod having thereon a stud-receiving portion and a laterally and longitudinally extending stud-guiding portion, operating means including a link member having thereon a paper feed and a stud, and cam means in the housing having a cam surface thereon positioned on one face side of said piston rod and acting as the piston rod is moved longitudinally past the same in a cooking movement to engage and laterally displace the stud from connection with the stud-receiving portion to disconnect the bursting means and the operating means, and permit the piston rod to be driven in a bursting movement, said paper feed being moved out of engagement with the paper upon said disconnection, spring means acting on said operating means to displace said link and bring said stud into engagement with said guiding portion upon a return movement of said operating means whereby said stud and the paper feed are maintained in a guided line of movement.

6. In a paper-burster gun with paper therein and having a housing, the combination of a piston rod slidable in the gun housing and having a connectible portion thereon, an operating member having a stud thereon, said rod and said member being operatively connectible and disconnectible, resilient means actin on said piston rod and resilient means acting on said operating member and both said resilient means acting independently to provide relative movement in said rod and said member when they are disconnected,'spring means exerting a force and laterally displacing said stud to a connection with said connectible portion to move the piston rod when:

the operating member is moved in a working stroke of the gun, and a cam engaging said stud during said working stroke and positioned in said.

gun to laterally displace the stud in a direction opposite to the direction of lateral application of the spring force until said stud withdraws from said connectible portion and permits relative movement of said rod and member.

ALFRED F. LANGOS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

